Software:Test Drive 5

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Short description: 1998 video game
Test Drive 5
PAL PlayStation cover art featuring the 1998 Aston Martin V8 Vantage V600 (foreground) and the 1997 TVR Cerbera Speed 6 (background)
Developer(s)Pitbull Syndicate
Publisher(s)Accolade
Composer(s)Steven M. Allison
SeriesTest Drive
Platform(s)PlayStation, Windows
ReleasePlayStation
Windows
Genre(s)Racing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Test Drive 5 is a racing game developed by Pitbull Syndicate and published by Accolade for PlayStation and Windows in 1998, and by Capcom in Japan in 1999.[4]

Development

Accolade spent $3 million on a television advertising campaign for Test Drive 5 and Test Drive Off-Road 2.[5]

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PCPS
AllGameN/AStarStarHalf star[8]
CGSPStarHalf star[11]N/A
CGWStarHalf star[12]N/A
EGMN/A7/10[13]
FamitsuN/A26/40[4]
Game InformerN/A8.25/10[14]
GameProStarStarStarStar[15][lower-alpha 1]StarStarStarStarHalf star[16][lower-alpha 2]
GameRevolutionN/AD+[17]
GameSpot6.2/10[18]6.3/10[19]
IGN7.8/10[20]7.5/10[21]
OPM (US)N/AStarStarStarHalf star[22]
PC Gamer (US)81%[24]N/A
Aggregate score
GameRankings61%[6]71%[7]

Test Drive 5 received "mixed" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website GameRankings.[6][7] In Japan, where the PlayStation version was ported and published by Capcom on 25 March 1999, Famitsu gave it a score of 26 out of 40.[4]

James Mielke of GameSpot said of the PS version: "In the end, when you think of all the other games that Test Drive 5 tries to emulate, you're thinking of at least three other racing games that you should purchase before you go for this one. While not a dismal failure by any means, the cheap AI and unbalanced gameplay ensure that Test Drive 5 remains rental material at best."[19] Michael E. Ryan, also of GameSpot, criticized various aspects of the PC version, writing, "while the game is a decent arcade racer with great graphics, plenty of cars, and a ton of tracks, it simply falls short of its number one competitor - EA's Need for Speed III - in almost every conceivable way."[18]

Trent C. Ward of IGN said the PC version was "blessed with solid graphics, great sound, and some of the finest cars ever included in a racing game." However, Ward felt that the game's computer-controlled racers were capable of maneuvers not possible for the player to perform: "When you're racing, if another car pulls up behind you and taps you on the rear bumper, your car immediately goes flying out of control. While this seems reasonable (if a tad excessive), the same trick just doesn't work if you try to do it back. Shove an opponent's car from behind, and you're a lot more likely to end up in the ditch than he is. [...] The way it is, the most you'll get is about three or four races before the computer pulls a dirty trick so foul that you'll turn your computer off in disgust." Ward concluded that Test Drive 5 "comes really close to greatness, and then veers off sharply at the last minute. The game's solid handling, great car selection, and passable graphics are all ruined by the fact that computer-controlled cars can pitch you off the road at any given moment and by the fact that even with the fastest cars at your disposal, you'll probably find yourself struggling to keep up with the slowest computer opponents."[20] Craig Harris, also of IGN, praised the PS version's sound effects and music, as well as its multiplayer mode, and called its graphics "a step up from Test Drive 4." Harris wrote: "The graphics engine is very smooth, very crisp, and very fast. My major complaint is, though the physics of the cars on the road are pretty accurate (as far as I can tell, anyway), when these cars take to the air, either by a jump or crash, it's like the tires are filled with pure helium."[21]

The PC version was nominated for the "Best Racing Game of the Year" award at IGN's Best of 1998 Awards, which went to Powerslide.[25]

Notes

  1. ↑ GamePro gave the PC version 3.5/5 for graphics, 4.5/5 for sound, and two 4/5 scores for control and overall fun factor.
  2. ↑ GamePro gave the PlayStation version two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and overall fun factor, 3.5/5 for sound, and 4/5 for control.

References

  1. ↑ "Games: The Biggest Range on the High Street". Daily Mirror: pp. 8. 6 November 1998. https://www.newspapers.com/image/921768588. 
  2. ↑ "Test Drive 5 Ships". October 7, 1998. http://www.psxnation.com/news/100798c.html. 
  3. ↑ GameSpot staff (18 November 1998). "Test Drive 5 Ships [date mislabeled as "April 28, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/test-drive-5-ships/1100-2465555/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "テストドライブ5 [PS"] (in Japanese). Famitsu (Enterbrain). https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=1194&redirect=no. Retrieved 3 February 2019. 
  5. ↑ IGN Staff (October 31, 1998). "Accolade Bets $3 Million on Test Drive". https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/10/31/accolade-bets-3-million-on-test-drive. Retrieved April 24, 2022. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Test Drive 5 for PC". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/198921-test-drive-5/index.html. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Test Drive 5 for PlayStation". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamerankings.com/ps/198922-test-drive-5/index.html. 
  8. ↑ Sackenheim, Shawn. "Test Drive 5 (PS) - Review". All Media Network. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14435&tab=review. 
  9. ↑ Mahood, Andy (10 December 1998). "Test Drive 5 (PC)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Reviews/Item/0,6,0-2331,00.html. 
  10. ↑ Mahood, Andy (20 November 1998). "Test Drive 5 (PS)". CNET. http://www.gamecenter.com/Consoles/Sony/Testd5/. 
  11. ↑ Chick, Tom (8 January 1999). "Test Drive 5". Strategy Plus, Inc.. http://www.cdmag.com/articles/016/132/testd5_review.html. 
  12. ↑ Todd, Brett (April 1999). "To the Curb! (Test Drive 5 Review)". Computer Gaming World (Ziff Davis) (177): 204. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_177.pdf. Retrieved 3 February 2019. 
  13. ↑ "Test Drive 5 (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (113). December 1998. 
  14. ↑ "Test Drive 5 - PlayStation". Game Informer (FuncoLand) (69): 73. January 1999. 
  15. ↑ Olafson, Peter (1999). "Test Drive 5 Review for PC on GamePro.com". GamePro (IDG Entertainment). http://gamepro.com/computer/pc/games/reviews/883.shtml. Retrieved 3 February 2019. 
  16. ↑ Air Hendrix (December 1998). "Test Drive 5 (PS)". GamePro (IDG Entertainment) (123): 170. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_113_December_1998/page/n173/mode/2up. Retrieved 22 April 2021. 
  17. ↑ Hsu, Tim (November 1998). "Test Drive 5 Review (PS)". CraveOnline. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/34127-test-drive-5-review. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Ryan, Michael E. (4 January 1999). "Test Drive 5 Review (PC)". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/test-drive-5-review/1900-2533388/. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Mielke, James (3 November 1998). "Test Drive 5 Review (PS) [date mislabeled as "May 2, 2000""]. CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/test-drive-5-review/1900-2549735/. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Ward, Trent C. (1 December 1998). "Test Drive 5 (PC)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/12/02/test-drive-5. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Harris, Craig (8 October 1998). "Test Drive 5 (PS)". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/10/09/test-drive-5-2. 
  22. ↑ "Test Drive 5". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (Ziff Davis) 2 (3). December 1998. 
  23. ↑ Egger, Dan (February 1999). "Test Drive 5". PC Accelerator (Imagine Media) (6): 90. https://archive.org/details/PCXL06Feb1999/page/n89/mode/2up. Retrieved 21 April 2021. 
  24. ↑ Poole, Stephen (March 1999). "Test Drive 5". PC Gamer (Imagine Media) 6 (3). http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1044.html. Retrieved 3 February 2019. 
  25. ↑ IGN staff (29 January 1999). "IGNPC's Best of 1998 Awards". Ziff Davis. https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/01/29/ignpcs-best-of-1998-awards. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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